a good fit?
We want you to love your photos which means loving our style & making sure we're the best fit for your dream team! My Whole Heart Collective is a team of artists, owned and operated by Nicole Kilday & Ashley Bowling. This helps us span the distance in service area as well as be in two places at once. That also means that our couples have the opportunity to not only have two amazing pre-wedding day teammates for planning, prepping, and brainstorming - but also access to our amazing team members if you opt for two photographers for your best day ever. With our collective of artists, this gives added creativity to the mix, but also added insurance in the unfortunate case of an emergency.
We are not for everyone. And we're okay with that. We only say this because most importantly, we want our couples to trust us and know that as artists & friends, WE GOT YOU. And it's 100% OKAY if our art isn't your style. Ultimately, you can’t ask Picasso to paint a Michelangelo. We want you guys to love your images in terms of the posing as well as the editing! After all, these photos will last longer than our lifetime!
A. You love love our art and want it plastered all over your home of you and your loved one(s).
B. You would rather play tag barefoot, grab your lovers hiney mid-smooch, + shake your ass to your fave jam with a third wheel.
This all goes back to trusting your photographer - truly. Love is wild, ebbs + flows, and sometimes it’s nice to set the hustle + bustle down to just HAVE FUN. Zero worries and actin’ a crazy-lovin’ fool with your favorite weirdo (+ us hehe). This means trusting the process during your photography sessions.
Our biggest hope for our couples (and honestly all couples looking for their perfect match for wedding photography) - is that you feel your photographer's art speaks to you in more ways than just a pretty picture and that you connect with your photographer(s) in a personal way.
are we your dream team?
Our Style
First and foremost, we’re artists in this profession. We’ve spent years practicing, educating, and growing as artists in terms of the technicalities of photography as well as the behind the scenes post-processing and editing.
Our style is ever-evolving as we grow and experience new opportunities; however, we always gravitate to a posing style that is hyper focused on the natural, raw, authentic interactions & movement in each love story. We love a good snuggly and candid vibe and are focused on welcoming you as you are so we can document the good stuff in your own unique love story.
- Minimum of 4 hours of continuous coverage
- Option to add additional hours
- Option for 1-2 photographers
- Curated timeline creation & assistance
- Online gallery w/ high & low resolution images
- Print release
- Sneak peeks within 7 days
- 4-16 week turnaround
- Complimentary engagement session (M-TH)
- Free travel within a 40 mile radius from Pingree Grove, IL
now offering photo & video packages with josa comstock photography
weddings & elopements
inquire for full pricing
Most of our couples spend between $4,200 - $4,950 on the entire 2024 wedding photography experience.
- 30 min - 1 hour session (M-TH)
- 1 photographer (Ashley OR Nicole)
- Posing direction & guidance
- Location & outfit guidance
- Online gallery w/ high & low resolution images
- Print release
- Sneak peeks within 7 days
- 2-4 week turnaround
- Free travel within a 40 mile radius from Pingree Grove, IL
$500.00
portrait photography
couples, maternity, family. and more.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We recommend getting locked in for your session ASAP since our calendar tends to fill up fast and we require a few weeks/months notice to ensure your spot!
We want you to know that we're willing to go the distance for love! Since 2016, we've journeyed across the United States to capture couples in love and it's been a highlight of our adventure. We've witnessed the beauty of the Midwest's cornfields, explored the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, hiked through Ohio's Hocking Hills, visited Martha's Vineyard and various spots on the East Coast, and ventured through Denver and its surrounding areas. It's been an honor to be invited along to capture couples' dream wedding days. If you're up for an exciting journey together, count us in!
Once travel exceeds the included mile radius from Pingree Grove, IL - please note that additional travel fees may apply and a second photographer may be required. The remaining cost of travel fees will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Additional travel expenses may include, but are not limited to: mileage, fuel, travel stipend, hotel or accommodations, flights, rental vehicle, transportation, food, baggage fees, parking fees, and other related expenses.
Where We Work & Travel Details
- You love love our art and want it plastered all over your home of you and your loves.
- You want to relive & feel every moment from your best-day ever.
- You want to feel comfortable with your third wheels without fear of the camera.
- You want a friend that invests & understands your love.
We want you to feel the love, we'll handle the rest. Reasons to book with us!
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Why Book with MWHCO.
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"Booking Ashley & Nicole was the best decision we made while planning our wedding. Not only do you get talented photographers, you get calming voices when things get stressful, cheerleaders when you’re in front of their cameras & bomb sidekicks on your best day ever. I can’t say enough good things about these two."
Cara & Ryan, March 2023
Kind words
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"We have worked with these lovely ladies for over a year & they’ve captured every major moment in our lives so far: our engagement photos, wedding, & more recently, our maternity shoot. We couldn’t be any happier with the outcome of these works of art, the professionalism from Nicole & Ashley themselves, or the quick turnaround time for getting our galleries back. We have found such good friends in both of them, and we are so honored to have them continue to capture our growing family. We joked after we received our engagements back that they’re going to be our designated photographers for the rest of our lives, and we meant it! We even have a newborn photoshoot lined up with them in a few months! I don’t know how anyone grows to be so talented, but man, their ability truly takes my breath away. 10/10 recommend!!"
Natally & Josh, Summer 2022 & beyond
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"I only worked with Nicole (not Ashley), as i booked my services with Nicole all the way back in 2019 before the pandemic (she’s been with us the whole way!) although i know that Ashley is also incredible, (as a human and photographer!) because i know Nicole only works with the best of the best. I can’t even put words together to describe Nicole but i’ll do my best. Nicole, you know how obsessed i am with you! but i have EVERY reason in the world to be, and i know every person and every bride who works & gets the privilege to know Nicole feels the exact same way that i do. she is the purest soul i’ve ever met. not only was she our wedding photographer, but she doubled as so much more. Nicole stuck with us through thick and thin of COVID, and rolled with all the punches without hesitation. she guided us the entire way. i honestly viewed her as my wedding angel lol. we had so many guests come up to us after the wedding to tell us “your photographer is just the sweetest person ever!” aside from Nicole being an all around heck of a person, her photography skills are out of this world. i could not rave about Nicole enough. i can write a whole book. one of the first things that i thought of when our wedding was over is that i’m sad that i won’t get to have more meetings, chats or see nicole as much anymore! so nicole, don’t be surprised when i book a yearly photoshoot just to see you 😂❤️"
Tess & Kyle, 2019-2022
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"Ashley is nothing short of amazing! She shot our engagement photos, wedding photos, AND maternity photos. She knocks it out of the park every time. She is extremely professional and a pleasure to work with. She has returned our full galleries well in advance of the promised time frame and the photos always turn out better than I could’ve imagined. I highly recommend My Whole Heart Collective!"
Madison & Connor, 2021-2023
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... is to offer our best selves throughout this adventure with you in a way that allows us to document your story from a place of truth. This entails us being here for every step of your wedding photography experience, from start to finish. It means celebrating the sh!t out of this chapter alongside you and breaking out into dance parties when our bodies can’t help but physically feel the excitement. It means being here for you when the process feels heavy and you really just need a judgment-free space to let it all out. We are here to help you gain perspective and provide encouragement to continue ticking all the boxes and bring the wedding vision of your dreams to life. Most importantly, it means welcoming you and your partner exactly as you are, so we have the full opportunity and knowledge to tell your story exactly as it is. This is our deepest commitment to you on this journey.
Our Mission & Promise
Our Mission & Promise
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Every wedding day schedule is different because it's tailored to fit your unique love-story and vision. However, as professionals in the industry we have a lot of feedback to give on what works and what doesn't timeline-wise and know how to best structure your day to accommodate the photography portion as well! So if you're stumped - we're 110% here to help! We offer tips + suggestions that we highly recommend you consider before starting to build out your wedding day timeline. We give you some buckets of time to consider to give you an idea of how long each part of the day typically takes to photograph. We also provide you with an example timeline that you're welcome to use as-is or shift to fit your wants/needs for the day! We aren't lying when we say "we gotchu friend"!
Let us help you build your wedding day timeline so you have one less thing to worry about!
Timeline curators
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- Factor in Sunset! You’ll want to build your schedule around sunset so you have enough daylight to capture the bulk of your images. Keep in mind that sunset is different at different times of the year. In the Summer, you have a ton of time to capture all of your photographs in natural light; however, once Fall hits, and the sun begins to set earlier, considering a first look between the two of you so we can knock out a majority of your images before we run out of daylight is a smart idea OR, have a 1.5 hour cocktail hour!
- Share your schedule with more people than not. Make sure to share your schedule with all of your vendors and even a few members of your family or bridal party. The more people looped in who can help stay on top of schedule, the better!
- Factor in travel time to / from locations (AKA if you'll be getting ready or hosting ceremony at separate locations from the reception)
- Create "buffers" in your timeline to give you enough time so your day can unfold naturally; and, to account for any hiccups, delays, or travel
- A good rule of thumb is to have your wedding photography coverage start 4.5 hours before sunset and 3 hours before ceremony
- Have a back-up plan for if it rains! We cannot control the weather as much as we wish we could, so always having a plan b (or c) is crucial!
- Trust us as your photographers on your best day ever: hash out a loose schedule with us and communicate your photography needs for your day! Remember that we will be on top of it!
Suggestions for your wedding day timeline to get the most out of your photography experience.
Wedding Timeline tips
freebie - the guide
We know there's a lot of questions dancing around in your head when it comes to the photography portion of your absolute best day ever. We aimed to break down everything you'll need to know about our wedding photography experience in our easy-to follow guide. Go ahead, snag the good stuff!
free wedding photography guide
I'm ready to cross find a photographer off my to-do list!
